third one's a charm

I have this theory about kids - it goes something like this: If you have more than one, they will end up getting you one way or another. (Or It Doesn't Matter How Many Kids You Have, You Still Haven't Seen One Like This.)

For example, our first child, Dylan, was quite honestly The World's Easiest Baby. I don't even have one single memory of him crying. Really.

Ella, on the other hand, came out screaming and didn't stop until she was four months old and we took a trip to the Bahamas (coincidence or was she just tired of her first Michigan winter??)

And Mady was a perfectly content little one...as long as you (and by that I mean me) were holding her all...the...time, making her our clingiest cuddliest baby of the three.

Another example: Dylan loved his pacifier, meaning he was a quiet content little guy but we had to go through the ditch-the-paci stage at 2 1/2. Ella refused a pacifier (see screaming, above) and learned to "self soothe" (HA!)

Mady took a pacifier for the first few months and then just lost interest and I thought "finally! I figured it out! we got through the first few months of newborn crying but now she's done and we don't have to worry about making up a Pacifier Fairy later!"

And then she stuck her thumb in her mouth. Game over. Kids win again.

I asked Mindy to take some 18 month pictures of our little Mady Mae. She's at a really fun stage but she also never stops moving which means it was time to call in a professional (I've always loved Mindy's work since day one and it's fun to catch up and chat while she snaps pictures too). Mindy did an amazing job as usual - I think these shots captured Mady perfectly.

In some ways, Mady as child #3 reminds us of babies we have seen before - she looks like her brother, devours ham like her sister, and treasures her blankey like they both do. But in other ways she brings a whole new set of qualities and quirks to the table.

She is our screamer, our wall scribbler, our cell phone snatcher, our uh-uh-uh (knows how to get what she wants) non-talker. 

She loves to walk anywhere and everywhere, especially outside.

(Dylan was happy to ride in the stroller until about age 4 when I finally evicted him).

She splashes in the toilet and likes to (ahem) fill her toy plastic cup in the toilet, also a new trick.

She bangs on the cupboard when she's hungry, bangs on the door when she wants to go outside.

(So much spunk in this tiny little person.)

She is our Craisin-loving, cheezy-grin-smiling, evil-laugh-laughing, fuzzy-hair-blowing, don't-box-me-in

baby 

girl.

Just a warning, parents: whatever phases you think you have avoided with your first, second or third child...whatever "my child will never do that" feelings you may have...if you continue on in this parenting journey and go for one (or two or three) more...they will get you every time.

Our #3. Our grand finale. She's giving us a run for our money.

And we couldn't be more thrilled.